Why Boredom Is Your Superpower

There's a concept I found in psychology books: boredom is the gateway to flow.

Most people hate boredom. They pull out their phone. They check Slack. They create stimulation.

But if you sit with boredom, something happens. Your brain stops seeking novelty. It settles into deep focus.

Naval Ravikant talks about this. The most creative thinking happens when you're not entertained. When your brain is forced to entertain itself.

I tested this. No phone, no music, just me and a problem for two hours.

The first 20 minutes: bored out of my mind. The next 40: still restless. Then something shifted. The problem became interesting. The solution emerged from boredom.

This is flow state. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's research shows it's where peak performance happens.

But flow requires boredom as a precondition. You have to be unstimulated enough to dive deep.

This explains why open offices destroy productivity. Constant stimulation. No boredom. No flow.

If you want to do great work:

• Eliminate distractions
• Sit with boredom
• Wait for interest to emerge
• Then flow

The opposite of boredom isn't entertainment. It's engagement. And engagement only happens when you stop running from boredom.

Boring meetings where you have to think? That's opportunity. Sit with it.